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They sat quietly in
front of the large, multicolored, rock fireplace.
Caleb had brought interesting rock formations
back from nearby planets and asteroids from which
he had built a most unusual and beautiful fireplace.
Some thought it was magical. The glowing wood
crackled and popped as the mysterious flames
brought a special feeling into the presence of
these two friends. A warm, sweet sadness filled the
room, both men knew that this was all temporary. Jess was
aging, Caleb was young but he had lived an
uncompromising life, a life which had spawned
countless enemies of the spiritual nature as well
as political. He knew he was living on borrowed
time, he lived with the ever-present thought that
his own death was drawing near. Soon, one of them
if not both would be leaving this dimension and solving the
great mystery of life.
Jess caringly
asked, "what e're happened to tha' girl ye
were so happy about?" Caleb sadly stared into the
bottom of his empty whiskey glass and shrugged.
"it didn't work out, like the rest of them,
the deal went
bad." he continued as he headed for the bar,
"seems like some us just have to face it
alone." Jess assured him, "hang in
there lad you'll run onto one that'll keep you
interested ~ just keep chopping, there's one out there
with your name etched on her heart." Caleb
shrugged, "
I'm beginning to think I'm supposed to be alone ~
you know, so I can better perform the mission
that I have ahead of me ~ It's the only thing that makes any
sense." "Maybe so," Jess conceded. Jess knew that
Caleb had insight and respected his feelings.
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Jess grew up on
an island of Epysia Main ~ his ancestors were
credited with inventing the game of Golf. Jess,
as a young man was made to choose between business or a
career in golf. Because of pressure from family, he
opted for the business career. Family and friends
felt it made him a better prize as a husband and
family man. He
was never happy about the decision. Never really
happy, he began to lean on fermented spirits, soon the
spirits became his best friend, helping him
from one day to
the next. He was able to numb his boredom and
empty life while finding a certain amount of
false relief. The day came when he couldn't
ingest enough of the drug to do the job ~ at that
point he was introduced to Alpha by a
friend ~ instantly he was filled with the
"spirit" and was transformed from a
hurting, miserable man with no purpose ~ to a spirit filled,
happy disciple who immediately knew his purpose
in life! Jess was "born again" of the
spirit and at that moment dedicated his life to
the service of Alpha. He was later ordained by
the Religious Outpost Society. He always said
they had to do something to get rid of him,
making him a missionary got him out of their
hair, he was far too strong for the watered down
leaders of the Outpost Society. In his new
capacity he was to go into areas of the planetary
system, tell the unknowing about Alpha and
spread the news
about Alpha's plan to reunite mankind with their
creator.
Jess and Caleb
agreed: The best way to accomplish the spreading of the good
news ~ Blend with the unknowing and
non-believers, show them the way to the kingdom,
show understanding, love and compassion ~ never
place yourself out of their reach ~ stand tall, stand true but
never aloof. This of course put him at odds with
the outpost leaders. They felt that he should not
socialize with anyone who is not of the same outpost
denomination.
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~
Jess encouraged
Caleb, "let's go down to the club, there's a
pretty lass
there I'd like ye to meet, besides, I'm pretty
tired o' my cookin'.
Caleb jumped at the opportunity to indulge
himself in good food and pretty people, he had been
alone for a long time now and would look forward to
new encounters and conversation.
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~
Upon entering
the club, several golf addicts jabbed one liners
at the Duo. Returning affectionate verbal jabs,
they seated themselves at a table near the window
overlooking the 18th hole ~ the larger moon was
full and bright,
breath-taking extra-terrestrial light danced
across the water
hazard there guarding the 18th green. "How
could it be better?" Caleb muttered. "I
hope heaven is as pretty." Jess spoke in a
loud scolding tone, "The shame of it all,
about the time ye learn how to appreciate it all,
it's time to go on." "There she is
now," Jess motioned towards an attractive
girl slightly younger than Caleb, "Tha's the
one ye should come to meet." Caleb had no
objections, she was pleasant enough, he wondered
if she was as interesting. Jess obviously knew
her quite well as he insisted she join them for
conversation and wine, she bashfully agreed.
Looking Caleb over she seemed to approve of him
as well. Jess introduced her as Diane. "What
is your lot in life?" Caleb softly inquired
of the lovely
table guest. With eyes sparkling she explained
that she was recently disjoined from her job as a
shuttle entertainer. "A singer?"
Caleb asked.
"Yes", she quietly acknowledged and
continued, "now I play a lot of golf, I'm
looking for something to do, a job that doesn't require using my
voice, health problems you know." Caleb
carefully
responded, "nothing serious I hope."
She sipped her wine, smiled and sadly excused herself. He
wished he hadn't asked. Jess shrugged, "maybe
you can help her." Caleb rolled his eyes
upward, "can't
I ever just meet one that doesn't have
problems?" "It's as though Alpha likes to
keep you sharp, NOW YOU JUST HELP HER", Jess
scolded him in a fatherly tone. "Sure,
sure," Caleb began to gather speed, "I'll teach
her to pray, she'll come to know Alpha, probably
get healed, then
she'll be on her merry way to fame and fortune
~ meet
Mr. Right and I'll get a message explaining how
happy she is in her new life." Jess smiled,
"that's not all bad, tha' trip beats a poke
in the eye with a sharp stick."
Caleb downed
his whiskey and stepped outside, onto the
veranda. Looking skyward he said a quick prayer
just to get back on track. He smelled the night
air as his mind began to wander as it so often
did ~ once again he wished he had done things
differently with his life. "Oh well you
can't change it now, make the best of it",
he concluded. Diane and Caleb returned to the
table at the same time.
"Sorry,"
she explained, "hard to face reality
sometimes." "Well don't accept it then,"
Caleb roared almost displeased with her attitude. Caleb took her
hand and walked back into the night air. He began
to explain how he had seen other people
miraculously healed. They walked along the bank of the water
hazard. Caleb explained how she could experience
the birth of the spirit and how to receive
miracles from Alpha. The lovely yet troubled girl
was completely receptive, almost as though she
was starved for the long awaited truth that no
one had ever taught her. As she explained, "
I knew there was something for me that no one had
ever told me about ~ I've been to the outpost
services much of my life but nobody ever
explained these things to me as you have. Caleb
barked back, " that's because most of the
outpost teachers don't know, or don't truly
believe!" Seems that most of them talk a lot
but actually have very little faith or experience
themselves. That's why they constantly hound the
members for money and commitment to give more
money ~ they have little faith in Alpha's ability
or willingness to supply the needs of the outpost
~ probably because they know that their teachings
are more based in their needs rather than
in Alpha's truth!
Diane showed
disgust as she began ~ ~ ~
"All I
ever heard was what not to do and how we will be
punished if we don't do things exactly as the
outpost laws require and most of the outposts
have different sets of laws. Some of them say you
won't make it to the Kingdom if you drink alcohol
~ Other outposts even allow their leaders
to drink alcohol. Some say you can't dance ~
while others dance at the outpost meeting! I went
to one outpost that said I couldn't enter the
Kingdom if I used cosmetics, you know lipstick
and the such.Then there was the time that
everyone gathered around me and ten people were
speaking in strange noises while they all laid
hands on me ~ trying to touch me ~ I tell you it
scared me to death and I promised I would never
go back there again." Caleb cleared his throat
and uttered a quick prayer for strength and
knowledge ~ he knew he would need it to explain
this one.
He began,
"You see, there is truth and good in each of
those points but they are distasteful and
confusing in their miscarriage of knowledge and
delivery. First we'll deal with the alcohol, he
boomed with a very impatient look. "Seems
that some outposts even allow their Priests and
Teachers to drink the awful stuff while others
view it as a sure-fire ticket to hell... I don't
think it's the same for everybody, there are
those who can't use it, there are those who can.
If you don't abuse
it and it helps a little ~ and ~ you don't let it
get out of hand or put it before God ~ or hurt
anyone ~ perhaps it's "okay" for you.
In this case I certainly don't believe you'll get
your one way ticket to hell for using it. If it's
a problem then leave it alone! As for the
lipstick ~ maybe the world can use a little
prettying up! We've sure got a lot of people who
can afford to look a little better. The point is ~ anything
you do with the wrong intent is a sin or if you
put it before God. Makes no difference if it's
going to the outpost services when someone needs
you spiritually somewhere else or if you eat too
much or ~ or ~ GOLF ~ if I put golf before God ~
that's a sin. I guess we could make up thousands
of laws to keep mankind out of the Kingdom if we
try but I think the writers of the Ancient Book
of Alpha put the point across very simply ~
"Love, trust and believe in Alpha, even to
death... and love your neighbor as yourself"
~ If you do this you'll do the right thing.
You see, when you
receive Alpha and his spirit, a special knowledge
comes into your heart and that's the Spirit of
Alpha, the great teacher and comforter. You then
know what's proper and you don't need a bunch of
self righteous, screaming post leaders telling you not to kill
people ~ you know not to kill. I say they should
use their allotted time teaching the wisdom of
the "word" and showing people how to
help themselves in this gawd-awful society.
As for the
tongues speaking outposts ~ ~ ~
First you must
understand that there are certain people who
genuinely do speak in a tongue that is of the
Spirit of Alpha ~ it's a gift ~ a gift that gratifies
that person, but it is not normal for several or
certainly not dozens of people to speak at the
same time in unknown tongues ~ that offers up
confusion and Alpha is not the author of
confusion. Mesmerizer is the unique author of
confusion! Those outposts even go so far as to
teach their followers that you can't make it into
the Kingdom without showing evidence of the
spirit by speaking in unknown tongues. That
teaching is from Mesmerizer! The misinformed
members of that congregation even teach each
other to speak in tongues and that's no gift from
Alpha, that's a lie and it's straight from Mesmerizer. Many
members even fake it so they will not disappoint a
loved one who wants them to make strange utterances ~ Therefore
that person who fakes must surely believe that
the entire
doctrine is a fake. Alpha clearly dealt with the
tongues issue
when he (through a great teacher) taught that
tongues is merely a gift given to some of the
members ~ not all members ~ as a matter of fact
the greater gifts are gifts of healing, prophecy,
teaching and so on. A few demons from Mesmerizer jump on
the issue and make a false religion based on the
least of all the gifts! These people are no
better off than those who base their lives on
astrology.
But... the one
doctrine that really scares me is the series of
outposts that don't teach anything about the
power of Alpha, only humanist stories of goodness and
pollyanna ~ no mention of Alpha ~ the Spirit of Alpha, Demons
or Devils ~ no, they can't acknowledge the
existence of demons or devils or that would
require the acknowledgement of Alpha ~ ~ so they
treat those subjects as fairy tales. They leave
you feeling that the great book itself is a
fairytale ~ Now that series of outposts is
dangerous! A fair percentage of the members know
more about demons than the teacher because they
live with them in one form or another ~ they
simply aren't taught how to gain authority over
them because of the watered down teachings. Diane
squeezed his hand, "thanks, can we talk more
another time. Will you call me?" Caleb breathed a
sigh of disappointment, "sure, I'll call you
sometime."
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~
The sun would
rise soon as Caleb let himself in, Jess was up
late. "Well,
how did the two of ye hit it off?" Caleb
laughed, "about what you would expect when
you spend the night talking about things of a
spiritual nature, after all it doesn't set the
mood for romance you know ~ See you in the
morning Pappy."
Caleb's
last thought as he dozed off ..
"Spiritual
warfare was always dangerous, more so than any
combat mission he had ever engaged in the
physical realm. In spiritual warfare, the unseen
demons of Mesmerizer's Kingdom come after you
with every trick allowed by the rules of
engagement laid down by Alpha. Caleb shuddered,
You had better know the rules and keep the
faith!"
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